When the World Comes Crashing Down
by Tj Barci
Summary: Lillian has always hated grown-ups. But when each and every one disappears, she's terrified. The world has changed, and it's deifnitely not for the better. It's a dangerous place where power rules. Will Lillian survive or perish?
1. Prologue: It's only the beginning

*waves nervously* Hello, Meena-san... This is my first FanFic, on one of my favorite series, "Gone". If you haven't already read it, I suggest you do so. IT'S AMAZING! DISCLAIMER: Michael Grant owns rights to 99% of this. I own the other 1%...

* * *

One minute, there. The next, gone.

Lillian Bridges had been in the chairman's office when he disappeared. He was saying something about her many rule infractions. His voice cut off in the middle of the word 'difficult'.

She blinked, not believing what she'd seen. The guy wasn't one for magic tricks, especially when he was one of the bigs at Coates. She slipped out of the room, and the whole school seemed to be frozen. So this had happened to more people than herself. Good. She wasn't that crazy. Yet.

Caine was nowhere near her, but she could see him with that practiced and calm smile of his, trying to calm the kids and make sense of the situation. Behind that pretty face was evil. He was a planner, and she shivered at the thought of him doing something stupid. No, it wouldn't be stupid. That wasn't his style. Too smart for that.

Even though she would deny it until the day she died, Lillian was scared. Teachers could only keep so much control over the students of Coates Academy, and now that they were gone? It would be utter chaos.

She sprinted through the halls, not stopping to look in any of the rooms. She heard that boy's laugh, and imagined his shark-smile. It was something that once you saw it, you could never forget. Lillian never did, anyway.

She saw him slamming his left hand, a fist, into his left. Now there was nervous giggles and some scattered cheers. Lillian's speed didn't stop him from seeing her. He yanked her out of the hallway and shoved her against the wall, her least favorite position.

"All the grown-ups are gone! Great, isn't it?" He smirked. Lillian gulped, and he was satisfied with her quiet fear.

"It depends on how you look at it..."

He leaned in closer, almost as if he was going to kiss her. Like _that _would ever happen. Not that she wanted it to.

"It's definitely awesome. Things are going to change."

That first day, something inside Lillian changed. Drake's tone of voice, starry eyes, and cold smile was something she couldn't get out of her mind. Something she actually wished would disappear.

Look out world, she thought, you're in for a helluva time.


	2. Chapter 1

Lillian Bridges popped a cracker into her mouth, knowing too well that it was one of the last she would ever taste. Rationing the food was her job. She couldn't eat it all and let the littles in her care starve.

She knew what was coming. Jonny would ask where his mommy was, and she would tell him she was gone, and something across the room would explode or be thrown. Maria would hide behind her until Jonny finished his tantrum. It didn't scare Lillian anymore, his tantrums. At first she freaked out and hid, thinking, _Not another Caine. Please, not another Caine._

But Jonny didn't mean to do these things like Caine did. He was just scared. And these tantrums had to be kept a secret, or else Drake and Orc would destroy him. They wouldn't care if Lillian told him he was just a little boy who wanted his mommy, like all the others littles in Perdido Beach, and he didn't mean to do it.

His head would be smashed in with a metal bat.

She shook her head and waited. A few minutes passed, and Jonny didn't ask. She turned to him and stared.

"Jonny, aren't you going to ask where Mommy is?" she ventured. He smiled.

"I know Mommy's gone, so I won't break anything anymore!" Lillian was dumbfounded. Jonny kept playing with Maria, who was just as confused as she was.

It was but a few days after this horrible world had begun. The FAYZ, they called it. Fallout Alley Youth Zone. A world with no adults or authority figures. Just bullies and scared children. _No, _she corrected herself, _this place is hell._

It was hell, with Caine, maybe Drake, playing the role of the Devil.

In the house she resided in now, it was two littles, Jonathon and Maria, herself, and her younger "brother" Noodle. The day after the FAYZ began, Lillian had run away from Coates Academy in utter fear, madness. Too many impossible things that she couldn't stomach.

Littles had explained to her what had happened. One minute their parents were fighting, the next, silence. She had too-good a heart to leave the kids alone. They were barely six, too young to care for themselves. Now Lillian was a bare reincarnation of 'Mommy'.

There was a knock on the door, and Lillian jumped. Every sudden, un-deliberate sound scared her. Why? It could've been Drake or Orc knocking on her door, reinforcing the 'People will not perform or magic tricks or any other action that cause fear or worry' rule.

She staggered to her feet and peeked through the side window. It was only Noodle, coming home to deliver more bad news. She opened the door quickly and slammed it once he was inside.

"What was that all about?" Noodle asked. She shook her head. "Okay. Not much to report. They just buried a chick named Bette. Oh God was that awful to see." He cringed, looking a little green around the edges. He was a tall, almost gangly thing with normal brown hair and greenish-brown eyes. His Coates uniform was sagging and dirty. Only reason his was with her was because she's saved him time and again.

Lillian, hesitant and fearful of the answer, asked, "How did she die?"

"Rumor is Orc beat her to a pulp. Dr. Dahra said something 'bout internal bleeding," he whispered, checking to see that the littles hadn't heard. Lillian didn't have a clue who Dr. Dahra was. All she cared about was the enemy. _Just like Caine. No, no. He wants power. And no enemy._

"Sad, isn't it? The world comes crashing down upon us in mere days." Noodle nodded and climbed the stairs to his makeshift bedroom.

"'Night, 'Lil."

"Good night, Nic."

An hour later, it was Maria who threw the tantrum. She refused to go to sleep. Try as she might, Lillian couldn't get her up to her room. Maria kicked and screamed, while Jonny hid, covering his ears.

"You have to go to sleep, so I can go out." She thought about the screwed-up sleep schedule for the littles. They slept for a few hours, usually from just before dawn until ten o'clock. Then came brunch, and they slept again. Only at night were they aloud to play, under Lillian's careful supervision.

Maria wouldn't have it. Lillian lost all her patience in that moment, and Maria's left hand, the one Lillian was holding tightly, turned to ice.

Lillian jumped back ward and fell on her butt. Maria screamed and screamed, while Lillian ran to the bathroom, looking for some way to help her. She couldn't find anything. Maria gave her a look like she was a monster.

Suddenly, a troubling thought came to her mind. Jonny wasn't the only one in the household who had the power.

Lillian left the house in a hurry, trying to stay hidden from her fellow townies. She was never a Coates kid, and wouldn't be now.

She managed to slip past Drake's crew without so much as a sound. Soon she was at the town plaza, where kids milled around, useless. Lillian took a secretive tour around the square, stopping to examine the burned shell of an apartment building above the hardware store. In the alleyway in the back, of course.

"Lillian?" She froze in the midst of feeling the soot covered ground. She knew that voice. The voice that accompanied a shark-toothed grin. "I thought I recognized you!"

She didn't dare turn. If she didn't respond to her name, would he move on? Unlikely.

A hand was on her shoulder a few seconds later. She stared at it like it was an alien body part.

"Ah, yes, that's definitely you, Lilly," he continued.

"Hello Drake," she half-snarled in response. "What brings you down to Perdido Beach?"

"Haven't you heard? I'm the new sheriff in town. I reinforce the rules around here."

"Really? Good for you." She tried moving on, but Drake didn't loosen his grip on her shoulder. "What?" Her anger was starting to get the better of her, which she couldn't allow.

"Don't you want to, I don't know, visit your lover, Caine?"

She snickered. "He's not my lover. And no, I have absolutely no remote interest in seeing him. Now let go of me, or I'll…"

"You'll do what?" Drake challenged. What could she do? She was a girl without the help of any power, and Drake was a malicious, troubled kid with anger and grudge issues. "Come on, I think Caine would like to speak with you." He started leading her away, and her hidden anger broke free.

"Don't touch me," she snapped. He smirked, not the least bit bothered.

"Oh, be nice." Drake pushed her against the wall, trapping her. He fingered her tattered Coates shirt absently. "You wanted to destroy this?" It was rhetorical. "But there's nothing you can do erase your memories, or anyone else's."

She clutched Drake's shirt. Suddenly, it was cold. Where her fingers had touched, it was a little hard. What? Drake didn't shiver, just peered over his shoulder. When he looked back at her, his eyes were cold.

"Isn't that interesting? Little Lillian has the power. Oh, Caine's going to definitely enjoy this…"

Lillian's body went cold with fear at the mention of his name. She didn't understand what she'd done. She was weak now. Then she remembered. It's wasn't Maria's fault. She hadn't turned her own hand to ice. It was Lillian.

Drake, as far as she knew, didn't have any power. Besides, he wouldn't turn a section of his shirt into ice. It didn't make any sense. Nothing did anymore.

He was speaking to one of his fellow psychopaths. Lillian bolted, but Drake was fast. He caught her by the hair and dragged her down.

She yelped in pain, glaring at him with watery eyes.

"Now, now. Don't make it hard for your dear friend. Come with me, and I won't hurt you." Somehow that didn't sound reassuring to Lillian. "But you do realize, if Caine gives me the word, I will destroy what's left of your pitiful life." Ah. That was why.

She stood and followed him back to the town hall. She could hear someone screaming as they passed the church. Lillian lingered too long, and was punished with another yank of her waist-length hair. He chuckled, at her pain and that of the person screaming.

"Sadist," she muttered. The determination left her, and she was nothing but a naïve puppy being dragged on a choking leash. Soon they were on the front steps, and Drake knocked. A boy Lillian didn't recognize opened the door and closed it immediately after they entered.

The building was dimly lit, making the shadows horrifying. But nothing could compare to the monster that held onto the hair close to her scalp. She remembered something, in another language. Maybe Japanese.

"Oni," she whispered. They climbed the stairs, and Drake shoved her through the large oak doors. She landed on the floor. The boy in the mayor's chair stirred. His dark eyes were tired.

He yawned, and Lillian flinched. He was amused, glad that she feared him. Once upon a time Lillian had loved that boy. Worshipped him like a prince from afar. Was his servant, if he wished it so. He never did.

"Drake, who…" He looked at her carefully, as if he didn't remember. "Oh, Lizzie, right?"

Lillian just stared. A movement on her left side caught her attention. Diana.

Caine staggered out of his throne and stood before her.

"Why is she here?" he demanded calmly of Drake.

"She has the power."

Caine's eyebrows shot up in mock-surprise. "Oh. Diana?" he called. She was also sleepy, but managed to find Lillian's hand in the darkness. Lillian jerked it away, not knowing exactly what she was capable of.

"It won't hurt. She's just going to read your power level," Caine said. Lillian was only capable of a shiver.

"N-no. I don't have any p-power," she stammered. Caine's expression was calm and amused. "He must be tired and s-seeing things." She gestured to Drake. He smirked, his face contorted by that shark-smile.

"I'm never tired."

"You have no reason to do this to me. I don't want to be 'read'. If I had the power, I would tell you."

"No you wouldn't," Diana snapped. Her hand was in Lillian's again.

"You're probably right." Lillian scrambled backward, away from the enemy. "Don't touch me."

Caine sighed. "What's her level?"

Diana shook her head. "Couldn't get a good enough read-out. Too squirmy." Lillian's eyes widened. Surely she'd held her hand long enough? Diana gave her a sidelong glance.

Lillian met her gaze.

"Power?" Caine pressed.

"Ask Drake. If he inflicted pain on her, his sadism would allow him to remember."

Drake snickered. "She turned part of my shirt to ice." He turned around, and Caine surveyed it carefully. The only evidence was a little water-stain.

"Interesting." He turned to her suddenly, scaring her. His features softened, almost sympathetic. Curious. "You make ice with your hands?"

"I didn't even know I could do that." Caine nodded like it made perfect sense.

"Neither did I. Do you know what I can do?" Lillian's gaze was steely as she remembered; all too well.

"I don't need another demonstration, if that's what you mean. Most powerful person in the FAYZ? Bull."

"Another?" Diana asked.

"I've seen the creep in action. You think nobody noticed? I know of another person who did—"

Suddenly Lillian's throat burned, like she was being strangled. She didn't struggle; didn't writhe in pain. Suddenly she felt bad for him, and Diana. But she couldn't quite place it. Her lack of pain was obviously no fun for Caine, and he dropped his hand to his side.

Lillian breathed hard, her head throbbing. She couldn't deny she was terrified.

"I'm done with her. Drake, take care of her." He flicked the air and sat in his chair again.

Before Drake shoved her, roughly of course, out the door, she whispered, "I know what you commanded Orc to do. Kill Bette."

"So? Do you remember where the exit is?"

She laughed darkly. "But of course, Drakey-wakey."

The door shut with a loud clang, leaving a lasting image in her mind of his wild, cruel eyes and shark's-grin.

Lillian was about to descend to the exit when she heard Diana's voice. Why Lillian didn't continue down the stairs she couldn't be sure.

"Caine, she was wearing a Coates uniform."

"What?"

"She was. But she wasn't wearing the jacket," Diana said.

She heard Caine's fist slam down on the table, which made her jump. "Damn. How did she get away?"

Get away from what?

"I don't know."

Lillian could picture Caine breathing deeply and straightening his posture. "She won't be too much trouble, even if she is the defiant type. Drake'll catch her sooner or later; she can't avoid using her power. No one can."

Noodle had never been more terrified. As he ran through the house, trying to hide, windows cracked by themselves. Mirrors shattered. Wood splintered. He dove into the basement, glad it was one of the few houses in Perdido Beach that had that type of thing.

He was breathing hard, determined not to let his fear show, even though no one was with him.

Lilly never did, so why should he?

He heard the little kid crying for he mommy. But the girl didn't make a sound. Not since Lilly had run out of the house, that horrible fear driving her forward. Not comprehending.

Noodle wasn't the smartest kid in the world, but he was sane enough to understand that what Jonny was doing was impossible. What was it called? Telekinesis? Yeah, that was it.

Jonny howled with rage, almost like an animal. Noodle wrapped his arms around his knees, rocking back and forth slowly, slightly. He never liked the kids, and now he knew why. Maria was somewhat normal, but creepy nonetheless. Jonny…Oh, Jonny. He was scary.

Despite himself, not wanting the littles to hear, he whispered, "Lilly, where are you? Why did you run? You never run."

Dawn was fast approaching. Lilly would be back by then, right? She couldn't leave him here. Not now. Not like this.

The door slammed open above his head. He was under the stairs. With a shudder, he realized the screams were silenced. He mind was slow, clouded. Who was there? One of Drake's 'sheriffs'?

"Is anybody down there?" a voice called. Noodle didn't dare answer.

"Come on, we gotta go. Caine'll want to cement them," another voice said.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever." The voice was doubtful, like the owner wanted to search more. Noodle was glad he wouldn't.

Back at Coates, Lilly had been his salvation. His was about to go crazy, but she was there to stop it. Stop him from becoming something like a Drake. Now, _he _was definitely scary. Even to a brave eleven year-old like Noodle.

He wasn't right in the head, Drake. He had a sick smile and evil eyes that could look into your soul.

A few minutes later, Noodle climbed the stairs hesitantly. He couldn't hear anyone, but that didn't mean nobody was there. He didn't call out, not wanting to draw attention to himself.

The last thing he saw was a metal baseball bat slamming into his face.


	3. Chapter 2

Hey guys...Sorry to keep you waiting. Please forgive me, my computer is being a pain . My 'Fic is number 1? Whoa. Well, please review it! I need help to make it better, and it would make my day if you gave me a compliment! Peace out, everybody! Look forward to more adventures of Lillian Bridges :3

EDIT: Sorry, I had a bad feeling about her getting caught so soon...Besides, I need more than three pages, don't I? It's so close to the end in the orignial book...

* * *

On a bench near the broken fountain, Lillian lay, asleep. She'd lost the battle to stay awake a few hours ago. In her dreams she could only see visions of Drake. Usually, she thought, you dream of someone like that when you are in love with them. But her feelings toward Drake were far from love.

Just a little more that hatred.

Maybe this was some sort of twisted, evil love. But, she reminded herself, she didn't love anyone anymore. Maybe Noodle, but that was different.

And what did they mean by "get away"? What had they done at Coates?

The early morning sunlight didn't wake her. The fast footfalls did. Who was running around?

She squinted and saw people in groups, each having a Radio Flyer wagon being pulled behind them. Inside was an ax looking thing.

One group in particular caught her eye. Two townie boys and a Coates girl she didn't recognize. The shorter of the two boys was what caught her attention. He reminded her of someone, but she couldn't place who.

With great effort, Lillian staggered to her feet and spotted a slower moving group. In the lead was a Mexican-looking kid with a tool belt. She ran over to them and asked what was going on.

"House searches," the boy replied.

"Why?"

"Caine ordered it," one of the Coates kids growled.

"Caine? How does he order you around?"

"He's the leader, I guess. Hey, I haven't seen you around. Who are you?" the Mexican kid said. "I'm Edilio."

For some reason, Lillian trusted him. "My name is Lillian Bridges," she said quietly, measuring up Edilio. He wasn't really tall, but his posture was almost dead-on straight. He looked confident and ready to fight. But he also looked kind and helpful.

"Nice to meet you, Lillian. Well, I have to go. See you around!" He waved and headed off toward to a section of the neighborhood.

Lillian really liked Edilio. Really, really liked him.

She set off toward where she saw the other group going, the one with the townie boys. Caine was the leader? No wonder he was in the town hall…

Perdido Beach was a small, quiet town. Even more so since the adults disappeared. No cars moved, though the stoplights continued to change colors. Lawns were already started to grow shaggy, and flowers were dying in their beds.

Most of the kids just walked around. Only a few were doing house searches, something mildly productive. The others were dispirited and scared, like dogs that hadn't been fed and were whipped on a regular basis.

It's only the start, she thought. The FAYZ isn't just going to be a phase.

A swing set in someone backyard creaked slowly back and forth, despite the lack of breeze. Like a ghost was watching the struggles of the children, laughing evilly all the while.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" Lillian jumped, a chill going up her spine.

She turned, seeing a smallish African American boy with a baseball bat. Did everyone carry those around these days? she wondered.

"I think I'm walking," she sniped.

He laughed. "You need to be doing something other than that. Me and Orc can probably give you a job." He gestured to the bear of a boy behind him. Lillian gulped. So this was Orc.

He was so much more scary in person compared to what Noodle told her of him. He too carried a baseball bat.

"Yeah," Orc said dumbly.

"I don't need a job, especially if people working for Caine are giving me it." She continued walking, hearing their footfalls behind her. The sidewalk almost shook when Orc put his feet down. The other boy was next to her now.

"Go join a house search, or get lost." He lifted his bat and tapped it on his free hand.

"No."

The boy gave Orc a look, and Orc swung his bat against her shoulder. She was stunned more than in pain. She blinked a few times.

"Go if you don't want to get hurt."

"I'm not afraid of you." The effect would've been nicer if her voice hadn't squeaked on the word 'you'.

Orc swung the bat again, but this time she was ready. She ducked just in time. But she refused to move. The other boy swung this time, hitting the back of her head. It stung, and she was more angry than scared. She clutched it gently. Was this how they destroyed poor Bette?

"So you're on Sammy's side?"

She was confused. "Who's 'Sammy'?" It was her turn to be dumb, obviously, because the two boys laughed at her. Lillian didn't like being laughed at.

"You really don't know?" She shook her head, feeling oddly embarrassed. "Oh, okay. I guess you could call him anti-Caine. He's honestly just a problem."

Anti-Caine? Lillian liked him already. Now to call upon her charm, the only thing that was useful that she'd picked up from him.

She batted her eyelashes. "A problem? How so?"

The boy thought for a moment. "He's annoying, him and his hero stuff." Lillian tilted her head, curious, with her hand on her chin.

"I see. Does he save the day, and then go away?" She didn't realize how much she was acting like Caine.

He nodded. "What kind of hero is that?" Lillian caressed his dirty shirt gently.

"I agree. A good hero shouldn't do that. He should stand his ground and…and not be afraid." She backed away slowly, leaving him to ponder her words. After she turned the corner, she took off, her shoes clacking against the pavement.

Lillian was determined to meet this Sam kid. It sounded like he could take Caine down, show him he wasn't that good. She had a feeling Sam wanted Caine exactly that; all Lillian had to do was find him.

Her hair was flying wildly behind her. She, by herself, was creating a kind of wind, surely much more than the slight breeze. She stopped and caught her breath, leaning on her knees for support.

On the street she was on now, it was even quieter. It looked so perfect, the white picket fences and neatly painted houses. But it wasn't in the least. Even here, there were no adults. No one to make the fear go away. No one to at least try to turn the kids into human beings again.

Lillian didn't need adults to feel safe. That ended when her stepfather joined the picture. When he beat her mother, and sometimes, her. Maybe it was before that, when she fought with her mother. Or when her father died. Disappeared.

She was reminded of the time she lashed out against Marc, finally figuring out that no one would protect her from his violence but herself.

One punch after another until he squeezed her wrists so tightly the circulation stopped and her hands nearly went numb.

"You little brat," he snapped.

"You hurt me! Daddies don't do that," she protested, her eyes filled with hatred. He shoved her against the wall and threatened to hurt her more if she didn't shut up, the neighbors would hear.

Tears stung her eyes and made her vision blurry, even now. Marc was an unstoppable force of evil.

With a shiver she realized that Marc was the same breed as Drake. Only Drake was smarter, and much, much crazier. Was that why she bore such a strong aversion to him? She wondered if she would hate Drake as much as she did if Marc hadn't come along.

Yeah, she would.

Lillian continued to walk, not really knowing where she was going. She could find Sam later, maybe.

The thought hit her hard.

She needed to find out what was going down at Coates, what Caine had planned. Whatever it was, she knew it couldn't be good. If he had any say, the mutated kids could be locked up in the basement with rogue coyotes, or worse.

Her heart sank when she remembered how far exactly the academy was. What was it, five miles? More? It would take forever, unless…

She nearly wet herself when she spotted the Honda. It wasn't too beat up, so it should've been a decent drive. She ran over and peeked inside. It was still running, but the doors were locked. How long did car batteries last?

Maybe, she thought, maybe I can freeze it? Then I can punch it in. In her mind, that wouldn't be too much harm done. If the owner of this car ever returned, he would be happy to know that Lillian was that considerate.

She smiled.

Okay, she thought, how do I do this? She tried to think of the times she'd done it. She was afraid. And angry. She called upon her memories of her experiences at Coates: all the secrecy, evil, insanity, and all-around impossibility. How Drake scared her. She closed her eyes, preparing for the worst.

All of the sudden, her hands tingled. Lillian placed her hand on the window, and she heard the crack as it froze. When she opened her eyes, she tapped the ice-glass. Frozen solid.

She drew her hand backwards and used all the force she could muster to break it. The alarms didn't work because they were frozen over. But the glass shattered.

Lillian popped up the lock and opened the door, which was a few degrees above freezing. Her hand hurt, and was a little bloody. Collateral damage.

Quickly, she cleared off all the ice-glass so she could sit. The seat was soft, and had coffee stain. She sighed and examined the different buttons, switches, and shifts. The left was the brake. Right was the gas. That was important.

"Okay," she whispered to steering wheel, "please let this work. I can't die yet; Caine or Drake's gotta go first."

She didn't need to shift gears. It was still in drive. All she had to do was… she hit the gas a little too hard and slammed into a trash can. She pressed it more gently, this time turning the wheel to the right so she could turn around.

There was no way she was going to try to go backwards. That would be suicide.

Her driving wasn't the worst it could be. Every time she saw movement, she stopped, trying to be on the safe side. She didn't want to be responsible for some random townie's death, so Drake could make fun of her and say "And you called _me_ a killer?" Lillian had a clear path toward Coates since she'd turned around. She hadn't been out of the grounds but once.

It couldn't be that hard to find. If she squinted hard enough, she could see the prestigious school from where she was.

When kids moved too slowly for her tastes, she honked. It stunned them. They probably thought it was an adult, coming to rescue them from their now miserable lives.

"Sorry, guys. I'm not your mom or dad," she murmured. "And _please _don't ask me to act as one."

A few minutes later, after a few turns and backtracks, Lillian found her way to the freeway. It had all sorts of cars, either crashed into one another or stalled in their lane. It would be a treacherous drive for a beginner, but she was willing to take the challenge.

She did her best to weave around a smashed convertible, almost getting the rear tire caught on its chrome bumper. She thought she heard static coming from the radio. That's right; radio had been wiped out along with the internet, TV, and cell phones. She wondered if she would ever hear her favorite station again.

I will, she told herself. If I live long enough. That she was doubtful of.

Lillian figured she could drive for a little while, then go on foot. That way she wouldn't be too suspicious, and if she needed to get away, the car would only be a short while away. Or she could just find another car, it wasn't like there wasn't enough to go around.

There was little weed sprouts on the edges of the road. Soon, if this didn't end, nature would take back what they'd worked so hard to create. Nature is a lot like Caine, she thought. You can only ask for so many favors before there isn't any left. If you can't repay, you meet your end.

Now the road was mostly clear, and she could drive without too many stops or awkward turns. It would be so easy to keep going now. To find out what was going on at her former school. Lillian clenched her fists, her jaw set.

"Can I really do this?" she murmured, staring at nothing. "Can I really, truly, go back?"

She decided she could, with the help of her furious curiosity. She kept going, farther and farther until Perdido Beach was almost a blur of shapes. The ocean sparkled, kind of a dull sheen, really, to her side. It was too placid. The town's surfers were probably pissed by that.

In a few minutes, she was at the gates of Coates. She backed up a little, then got out of the car. She left it running.

Somehow she got to the top of the fence, and was about to jump over, when a boy materialized on the other side, right in her line of movement. She struggled to stay up, nearly loosing her grip.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked.

"Uh..." What exactly was she doing? Even she hadn't a clue... "I uh, came back up to see how things were doing? Um, Caine sent me up."

He was still doubtful, but he accepted her excuse. She realized he was someone she knew.

"Benno?" she squeaked, sizing him up. Yes. It had to be him. He took a step forward and looked at her closely, needing to squint since the gate towered over him. Lillian saw that it was too high for her to jump, for the impact would crush her. She slid down, giving herself a few metal burns along the way.

She landed hard and sucked on her fingers.

"Lilly?" He was close to the bars now. "Is that really you? You look horrible." She looked away sheepishly, a embarrassed smile plastered on her face. Her cheeks were heated.

"Thank you for the compliment..." she muttered. "Yes, it's me."

"You're not here because of Caine right? As I remember, you weren't too fond of him." Was it seriously that easy to see her dismay? She had to work on what emotions she chose to show. "Or maybe it's because you like him, and you're jealous of Diana?"

He chose now to be smart? "I'm not jealous. Now let me in, Benno. I want to see what Caine has done. I've heard rumours..." Benno looked at her angry, defensive. Something was definitely going on here.

"He hasn't done anything. Besides, I can't let you in. Caine's orders."

"Oh really?" Charm, where did you go? she thought. I need you now.

"Yes, really, now leave, okay? I don't want you to get hurt, or...or..."

"Or what?"

"Noth..." Suddenly, right before Lillian's eyes, Benno disappeared.


	4. Chapter 3

Shira Hollister was almost done with her painting. A few more strokes and it would be done. Only, it didn't quite look like what it was supposed to be. There was no else to ask in her house. Her parents were still gone on a science-convention-thingy-business-trip.

They were a few days late coming home, but that was expected. They were in London, probably pondering and taking samples of all the national monuments. And that took a long time, right?

She didn't really mind. Her older brother had gone out a few hours ago, because they'd run out of food. Well, there were a few things left. But they were from other countries, and those couldn't be trusted.

Shira liked to think of herself as the "uncreative artist". She wasn't meant to be one. She was the science and math girl. Hiro told her she was like a twelve year-old Astrid Ellison. But Shira didn't like being called that. She wanted to be Shira the Genius, and for Astrid to be compared to _her_.

"Shira, Shira," he brother always said, "don't try to be something you're not. You're fine the way you are! Let Astrid be Astrid and everything will be fine."

"I don't want that!" she muttered to herself, turning on the sink and washing her brushes. They were soft against her skin, always soft and gentle. Many years of use had made them well-used and kind. It was like they had a mind of their own sometimes, and Shira enjoyed talking to them when no one else would.

"That painting is amazing!" one said as she squished its hair and washed out the light bleu paint.

"Indeed, but it could use a little work."

Shira perked up at that, listening. "What needs to be done?"

"It's a little off proportion-wise, and could use a little more white." Yeah! She finally knew what was wrong! She laid them out to dry in the sun on a paper towel and went back inside.

It was quiet, the house. The air-conditioning turned on and filled it with a soft hum that was easily ignored. Shira enjoyed quiet. It helped her concentrate on what was important. Like finding her older brother.

She called his name, half-expecting him to answer. He didn't.

"Hiro, where on earth did you disappear to now? I'm hungry," she moaned. She decided to try one of the unknown things in the freezer. The first thing she saw when she opened the door was something labeled 'Meat Perogi'. It looked kind of like egg rolls, but 'Perogi' wasn't Asian.

Ah well, she might as well try. It was in the freezer, so it should still be okay. Things could last forever in there if people wanted them to.

Shira guessed on how long it should cook. She put them on a plate, and covered them with a paper towel. She dialed in forty seconds on the timer for the microwave. When the glass plate started to spin, she licked her lips. The scent wafting over to her from across the room was excellent.

After a while the microwave didn't beep. She was about to open the door when smoke erupted from the vents around it. It burst open, revealing shriveled, black Perogi. Little, orange flames popped up from three of them, and now the smell was nowhere near what it had been a few seconds ago.

She coughed and found a cloth to wave around, spreading clean, fresh air around so the smoke would dissipate faster. She poked one with a fork, and it cracked open. Somehow some of the inner contents weren't damaged. If she wanted third degree burns, she would've taken the plate out.

Instead she fished around for halfway decent meat and veggies inside it. It was a little too crispy and smoke-tasting for her, but food was food.

She couldn't believe her own stupidity. She should've read the directions…but when she looked at the package now, there were none. Maybe it was a present to her parents, and only they and the original maker knew how long to cook it.

Maybe it wasn't a good idea to put it in the microwave. But it was too late now.

After she'd scavenged all she could, she closed the door, leaving the plate inside. In a few hours she would take it out. She hoped by then it would be okay to handle without turning her hands into instant stumps.

Shira turned on her computer and tried to connect to the Internet. _Internet Explorer cannot find the webpage._

She repaired the settings and tried again.

Now the page was blank. What? All that work on Photoshop and all that coding for nothing? She would not be able to use her latest creation!

She growled at the monitor and yelled, "What's wrong with you? Why won't you work?" She pounded the desk until blood trickled on her knuckles. If she couldn't repair the connection, she couldn't do ANYTHING. The Internet was a must. An absolute must.

In the end she settled for some luke-warm dumplings and the soft couch. Her happy moment was disturbed when Hiro burst into the house, panting.

"What's wrong?"

"I know you don't like to think irrationally, but I was just attacked by some mutant freak! He nearly killed me!"

Shira looked him up and down. His clothes were torn and dirty, and he was…

Missing part of his shoe. She almost sighed in relief, almost believing it was all a prank, but she did a double take.

He was not only missing the front half of his shoe. Half of his hair was gone, and he was missing several fingers; the very tip of his ski-slope nose gone.

"No."

"Yes, yes, yes."


	5. Chapter 4

Lillian's jaw dropped. Benno. Another gone. Like all the others.

She was trembling uncontrollably, and there were defined beads of sweat on her forehead. It was yet another impossible thing. But this…This was scary. Benno poofing mid-sentence was scary.

"May God protect you, Benno," she murmured, her eyes fixed to the spot where his body should've been. Nothing remained. There wasn't a breeze. No creature stirred. Did the other kids know he was gone?

She supposed no one really cared about Benno. He was a low-ranking bully, not important in a school of bullies.

Turning on her heel and heading back to the car, her mind swam. What was she going to do now? Benno had obviously warned her of the dangers of continuing with her not-thought-through plan. But he didn't exactly tell her what was going on.

Whatever it is, she thought, it must be bad. Really, really, bad. Should she go back to town? Warn Sam, if she could find him?

She gripped at her hair and tugged, pacing in tight, perfect circles. She was frustrated and _so _not in the mood for any more weird stuff or a fight.

But if she just stood there, something bad could happen. Lillian walked back to the car and sat in the driver's seat. She closed the door.

When she arrived in town, it was quiet. Almost too quiet. She parked the car and turned it off. She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, trying to decide why she came back down when she could've just snuck in and figured it out herself.

A sound. The wheels of a skateboard. No, a grocery cart. A kid was tied up inside of it, and there was a small procession of kids behind him, one pushing. Her heart stopped and her body froze.

This was Sam! He'd been defeated?

But that wasn't the only reason she was scared. Behind him was Drake Merwin, smiling at his catch. Her eyes followed them until she couldn't see them anymore. They were headed towards the school.

What should she do? Sam was in trouble, and his girlfriend, and her little brother! Again she was in the position of indecision.

"Okay, calm down Lilly. Get a grip and think."

It was useless. She couldn't do anything against Drake. He was a loose cannon, and she was scared of him, a bad combination that would get her nowhere but captured and tortured.

She turned the keys and the engine came to life once more. She spun around the corner just as they dragged the group in. A kid glared at her, and she glared back. Then she turned around slowly and jumped back onto the highway. Now she was sure of what she was doing.

The engine roared as she hit the gas pedal. Lillian turned the car off and went to the gate, again. She knelt down and sprung up. The bars of the gates were slippery as hell, polished. She grabbed a hold of the shield that came together when the gates were closed. Inscribed on them was _ad augusta, per angusta_. Lame.

"Nawaa!" she grunted as she hit the ground on the other side, gravel crunching underneath her weight. She sprinted to the entrance and leaned on her knees for support.

Above her the wall was structurally unsound; it had been blown apart. Andrew, most likely.

The kid was powerful when he was afraid or angry, like a few of the other freaks. Mr. Boom was nowhere to be seen as of yet, and she hoped she wouldn't see him anytime soon. The two always argued.

She crept inside, and the door creaked loudly as it swung shut. She froze, but no one was around. Too quiet for her tastes.

She opened the door to the back of the building. Here she could hear the sounds of moaning.

Suddenly kids came running over. They ran like monkeys, but that was because they were weighted down by heavy concrete blocks. They were dirty; their clothes soiled from dirt and their own waste. Their arms were red just above were the concrete ended, and Lillian couldn't imagine what their hands looked like.

She was pressed against the wall as they attempted to surround her and started to cry: "Feed us! Feed us!" or "Free us! Free us!" It was hard to tell what they were saying; their dehydration made their lips and throats dry so they sounded like they were dying bullfrogs.

What was this? Her hands shook violently and her knees weakened. A girl she recognized cut off her crying and just stood there, eyes downcast.

"T-Taylor?" she gasped. She didn't answer. It had to hurt to speak. "What's going on? Did Caine do this to you?" The thought of someone being this crazy to do this to someone was beyond Lillian's comprehension. How could you do that to a person without feeling immensely guilty?

"Hey, get back here you dirty rats! What are you doing, no one's here—" Lillian and the boy locked gazes, both surprised by each other. They remained that way for about a minute before she turned and ran for the door.

The door was still open, and she kept running toward the main doors.

She kicked one door as hard as she could, but it merely rattled the hinges. She gasped and kept kicking, and they almost grabbed her. She slipped around them and took off up the main staircase.

"Hey, you! Get back here!" one boy yelled at her. Then to the other boy, "How did she escape?"

Lillian knew that if she was caught, she would never escape. It would take a miracle for her and the other kids to be freed. And why exactly were their hands bound, and not any other part of their body?

Well, with that block attached to them, they couldn't move very well. Unless they were super-strong; that could happen. If there were people like her, Andrew, and Caine, it was definitely possible that these poor souls were blessed with some sort of mutant power. If that was the case, their various powers had to be focused with the arms and hands…

She couldn't let them get her.

Suddenly hands grabbed her shoulders and she was thrust back into the wall. The air went out of her lungs.

"No, no, no! I haven't done anything to hurt anyone!" she said, waving her hands. But that tactic was pointless. The two didn't look like someone who would save a damsel in distress, especially since they were causing the distress. Maybe she could play around with their emotions a little…

They started dragging her back down the hall to the stairs. She whispered something almost unintelligible to get one's attention. Apparently they didn't hear.

"Caine must really trust you if he leaves you alone with all these dangerous people, huh?" she said to one. He gave her a blank stare. "I mean, that guy over there isn't really fit for such a difficult job, is he?" She jerked her free thumb at the other boy, who had let go of her and was trying to keep an eye on the other prisoners.

The boy thought about it. He nodded.

"I do most of the work…"

"Then that's exactly why you should tell Caine he's not adequate. Then you can show him that you're the better person to handle it, and Caine will trust you even more. And he won't be your competition anymore."

The boy liked this idea.

The other one grabbed her roughly and made her sit at one of the academy's large dining tables while his "buddy" was gone.

"See how he leaves you alone like that? I wouldn't leave you behind in a room with all these freaks. Especially if one of them was me. Some friend he is…"

"Huh? What're you saying? He's dependable enough."

She gritted her teeth. This one was smarter.

"He may seem that way. But he looks like the type who'll tell Caine that you're not good enough, and then you'll be done away with. He will go up through the ranks and be powerful…" Lillian exaggerated the last word's syllables.

This seemed to catch his attention.

"You think?"

She nodded. "I _know_. Trust me on this. Either you get him, or he'll get you." The words hung in the air. She liked the effect.

When the other boy came back, this boy glared at him. Lillian hoped the other would think what she thought he would: that he wasn't doing things the way his friend liked him to, and that he was superior to him.

The boy next to her was supposed to be suspicious of him, and hopefully the suspense of not knowing for sure would cause a fight. But that would take a while.

A few minutes later she was outside the main building, by the gazebo-looking performance stage. The two were already starting to argue, but they stirred the goopy grey mush. Cement. For Lillian's hands.

Now they were pushing each other and uttering curse words. This went on for a few minutes, until one realized the cement was starting to harden. He began to stir again, and the other glared at Lillian accusingly. He'd somehow, she couldn't understand how, figured out her quick plan to pit them against one another. They were still dissing each other.

Soon they fell silent. The only sounds were the cement swirling around slowly and the little shovel struggling through the mush.

"Put your hands in now."

She obeyed. Her resolve and energy was drained. Her head was down, her knotted grey-blonde hair in her face.

"Did you make us fight?" She gulped and nodded slowly. "You're pretty smart. Why aren't you with Caine? You could help him."

She shook her head. "I don't like that boy. He manipulates people; you, for example. He assigned you to this job, and you took it because you fear him, and want to stay on his good side. Look what you're doing, man. You're putting innocent kids' hands in cement blocks because they either scare or annoy Caine, so you fear them too."

Lillian wasn't sure if she was making complete sense or not, but the boys seemed to understand the basics of what she was trying to say. They were waiting for her to continue, so she did.

"If you think this is fun or entertaining, you are sick people. You're no better than Drake himself. I know you probably don't want to disobey Caine and get smashed into a wall or thrown off a cliff as a result, so keep doing your job. But don't be happy about it, or you'll prove to me that you're little, lower-ranking Drakes. Maybe then, if Sam saves everyone, he might spare you."

They remained silent as they worked to tether her to the other children. She had said all that she could to change their minds. Her spirit wasn't broken, it was shattered. Her arms already ached and she had used so much energy running around and thinking quickly that she wasn't able to move.

Imprisonment would be her end. Caine would smile at her weakness and Drake would laugh uncontrollably when they saw her.

Deep down, people were truly sick. But they were people after all, so their true desires were hidden. Some people openly showed that hidden cruelty, like Drake. Caine showed his in a different way. Notice how, she thought, when all the adults are gone, their precious little "angels" turn into their inner demon.

But even demons had things they loved. All it came down to was that everyone was scared, maybe even Caine and Drake, and being evil was just a way to retaliate and hide their cowardice. Or maybe the FAYZ wasn't a prison at all. Maybe it was freedom.

Lillian fell asleep a few times before nightfall. At one point she thought she saw an orange light, far, far away. It had to be her imagination.

It wasn't chilly or breezy outside, but terribly warm and still. This drove her nuts. She couldn't do anything but stand there like a caveman and stare into dark space. The lights of Coates were on though dimmed. Eventually they would die out, if someone didn't cut the power off first.

Now dawn befell the land and she could here the sound of car on gravel in the front yard of the school. A few minutes later a group of disgruntled kids came, with Drake in the lead, and a shrimpy fifth-grader with glasses, looking ashamed. Behind Drake was Taylor, being half-dragged. Lillian gasped when she saw the wrists, red, raw, skin hanging off. The concrete looked like it was pulling her arms off.

Anger flooded her vision. Her own hands trembled. But the power that was concealed within would not work.

Drake turned for a split second and caught her eye by mere coincidence. He smiled wickedly, seeing his prey trapped.

Lillian muttered a small string of obscenities, not taking her eyes off him. He began talking to someone behind him, but she could not see who the person was. When Drake finally moved, that same smile still plastered to his face, she nearly fainted.

In an instant the tables had turned, and Caine had the upper-hand once again. They had captured Sam Temple.


End file.
